Aljezur

Straddling a narrow river, Aljezur is split between its western Moorish section, with a collection of cottages below a ruined 10th-century hilltop castle, and eastern section, known as Igreja Nova (New Church), which is 600m up a steep hill. Nearby beaches, edged by black rocks that reach into the white-tipped, bracing sea, are surfing hotspots. The surrounding countryside, which is part of the natural park, is a tangle of yellow, mauve and green wiry gorse and heather.